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State designates $3.5 million to improve water quality at Silver Springs

Glass bottom boats are seen at the Silver Springs attraction on Monday. As the state prepares to take over the park, it is dedicating $3.5 million on wasterwater treatment plants to improve water quality in the springs.

Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 4:47 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 4:47 p.m.

Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday that Silver Springs would benefit from a big slice of a $10 million state fund dedicated to protection of Florida's springs.

The state plans to spend roughly $3.5 million on projects that directly affect Silver Springs, helping upgrade a pair of local wastewater disposal systems in order to slow the flow of nitrates into the waterway.

Scott announced that the city of Ocala will get about $2 million to improve the treatment system at its Wastewater Facility #2 on Southeast 24th Street.

City officials said the technological upgrade will more effectively remove nitrogen from the treated water.

The project, according to state officials, would reduce the amount of nitrogen leaching into Silver Springs by about 330 tons a year, or enough to fill 442,000 common fertilizer bags.

Improvements at the 42-year-old plant, located about four miles south of the springs, will cost about $12 million overall, state officials said in a press release.

Jeff Halcomb, Ocala's water and sewer director, has said the city has enough money banked for the project and should not have to borrow to complete it.

The state will also direct about $1.5 million toward Marion County's effort to reroute treated wastewater from its Silver Springs Shores plant.

The plan there, a state report says, is to divert treated effluent from the facility, which sits about 9 miles from the springs, for disposal on the nearby Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club golf course and the Baseline Golf Course.

The golf facilities are located about 13 and 12 miles away from the county treatment plant, respectively. State officials estimate the project will prevent at least 20 tons of nitrogen a year from ending up in Silver Springs.

Overall, the project is slated to cost about $8 million.

County Utilities Department Director Flip Mellinger said the $1.5 million allocated Wednesday was part of a total $3.2 million request the county made from the state for help with the project.

The county would fund the rest of the project, he added.

Mellinger said the initiative not only improves the quality of the effluent coming out of the Silver Springs Shores facility, but will also save about 1.2 million gallons of groundwater that is now being withdrawn to irrigate those golf courses.

State officials believe switching from groundwater to stopping the watering at the courses will help improve the flow of Silver Springs.

Scott made the announcement at Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka, where he was flanked by Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel Vinyard, state water managers and other state and local leaders.

"Today, we're announcing important steps we're taking to protect and restore springs throughout the Sunshine State," Scott said in a statement released by his office.

"Florida's springs are important to animal and plant life, and help support Florida's booming tourism industry. This $10 million investment from the Florida Families First Budget will enable state and local partners to protect the quality and quantity of water that flows from our springs."

"Our commitment to Florida families means doing our part in supporting these natural treasures," he added.

In addition to Silver Springs, Scott pledged some assistance for Rainbow Springs near Dunnellon as well.

The state will provide $375,000 toward an overall $875,000 effort to improve water quality and quantity for an area called the Springs Coast.

Besides Rainbow Springs, the beneficiaries include Kings Bay, Chassahowitzka and Homosassa in Citrus County and Weeki Wachee in Hernando County.

State environmental regulators seek to work with farmers in the region to implement best-management practices for their lands.

Doing so would curtail groundwater withdrawals from, and perhaps nutrient loading into, the aquifer system in that area.

State officials believe a variety of technologies — such as weather stations, soil moisture sensors, automatic timers and pumps, tailwater recovery ponds and retrofitting irrigation systems with low-volume pumps — can be deployed across the region to reduce groundwater consumption, DEP said in a statement.

"These projects will illustrate what can be accomplished when the state invests wisely to support and supplement department and water management district restoration programs," Vinyard said in a statement.

"Much more needs to be done, but these projects can pave the way to restoring some of our most iconic springs."

Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@ocala.com.

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